•Obaseki commiserates with Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomhole over incident
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Two policemen yesterday lost their lives while several others sustained serious injuries in an accident involving the convoy of a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congresses (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.
“The accident was said to have occurred close to Oluku junction, along Benin-Ore highway when a trailer ran into the backup security vehicle of the former governor of Edo State who was travelling to join the candidate of APC, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and other top chieftains of the party in a rally scheduled at Usen, Ovia South-west Local Government Area of the state.”
The trailer, according to an eyewitness account, ran into the vehicle conveying the police from the back, knocked it into the bush, before hitting Oshiomhole’s car, causing the death of two policemen in the convoy.
But the media aide to the former national chairman of APC, Mr. Victor Oshioke, in a statement issued yesterday alleged assassination attempt on his principal.
However, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has commiserated with Ize-Iyamu; and Oshiomhole over the event.
According to the statement by Oshiomhole’s aide: “Some minutes after 12 noon today, Tuesday, September 1, 2020, there was a motor accident involving the convoy of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, along Benin-Lagos by-pass before Oluku junction.
“The convoy was headed to Usen community in Ovia South-west Local Government Area of Edo State, where Mr. Adams Oshiomhole was expected to appear at a campaign rally alongside Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC governorship candidate in the September 19, 2020 election in the state, when a trailer driving in the same direction veered off its course, hit the back-up Toyota Hilux vehicle carrying seven policemen, forcing it off the road, into the bush and rammed into the Sports Utility vehicle carrying Mr. Oshiomhole, causing substantial damage.
“We are sad to report that two police personnel in the Toyota Hilux truck lost their lives, while two others who are in critical condition are receiving treatment at a hospital in the state.
“Mr. Oshiomhole and other persons in the convoy, apart from those indicated above did not sustain any injury.”
Meanwhile, following the auto crash, APC Campaign Council on behalf of its candidate, Ize-Iyamu, said it has called off the Usen rally.
In a statement endorsed yesterday by the Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, the campaign council disclosed that immediately news of the accident filtered in, the council suspended the scheduled event to honour the dead.
“On behalf of Pastor Ize-Iyamu the APC condoled with the families of the victims who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident. They are not alone in their grief,” he said.
APC, he said, has pledged that the council would do everything within its powers to ameliorate their grief by reaching out to the families of the policemen involved in the fatal crash.
The campaign council said Edo would never forget their supreme sacrifice.
It also called on everyone to pray for the soul of the dead and against the recurrence of such tragedies.
Similarly, Obaseki has commiserated with Ize-Iyamu; and Oshiomhole over the event.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, the governor commiserated with the families of the victims of the crash and prayed that God grants them the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones.
Obaseki said: “I received the news of the accident with shock and commiserate with the former governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, and the candidate of the APC in the forthcoming governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, over the very unfortunate incident involving their security aides and top chieftains of the party in the campaign team.”
He added: “While we pray for strength for the families of the deceased persons, we also pray for the quick recovery of those who were injured and are receiving treatment.”
